July 20 Krum Star Article,
"Floods and Thanksgiving"
Churches are different from any other organizations.
Many organizations are volunteer-based, as is the church.
Many non-profit entities receive their funding from contributions,
as does the church. Many organizations exist to serve
the greater good, as does the church. Many organizations
offer opportunities for rich relationships and personal
growth, as does the church.
But it is the church alone that says, “We
are here because God has called us into existence. We
are here because there is indeed something beyond us.
We are here because the Creator deserves worship and praise.
We are here to remind the word that God is indeed present
in all circumstances. We are here to show eternal truths
in temporal settings. We are here because we have been
blessed by God and it is our responsibility to be a blessing
to others.”
There is nothing in the nature of church
or of church membership that suggests any freedom from
trial or challenge. In fact, both the Bible and history
offer a bounty of stories about persecutions and adversities
and even floods that the people of God have faced. Yes,
even floods . . . most a lot worse than the one we experienced
a few weeks ago.
What should be different about the church
is our response to such challenges. Above all, we are
called to give thanks. It is a willingness to offer thanksgiving
in all circumstances that opens the door to transformative
living and a life of resurrection hope.
I suggest you try it. Right now. List the
challenges in your life, the things that seem to make
it difficult or overwhelming or not quite what you had
hoped for.
After mentioning each item, simply say,
“Thank You, God.”
Do you have family problems? “Thank You, God.”
Have health issues flattened you or someone you
love? “Thank You, God.”
Do you see the sadness and warfare in the world?
“Thank You, God.”
Do you feel unloved or uncared for? “Thank
You, God.”
Is your mourning over loss so deep that you wonder
if the sun will ever shine again in your life? “Thank
You, God.”
Have you reached such a point in depression that
you can’t even figure out how to take one step
forward? “Thank You, God.”
Do financial concerns smother your hope of paying
off bills or even purchasing basic necessities? “Thank
You, God.”
“Thank You, God.”
Do you see what happens? Out of a life
of thanksgiving, creativity and new hope arise. From a
heart of thanksgiving, we can suddenly see our blessings
and then recognize again that we can be a blessing to
others. That’s God’s gift to us.
Yes, we’ve had a flood at Krum United
Methodist Church. Thank You, God. Yes, there is some building
damage, but nothing that can’t be fixed. Thank You,
God. Yes, it makes life a little more complicated, but
what an opportunity to pull together as a community and
see what we can do! Thank You, God.
This Sunday, July 22, we will be worshipping
again in our Sanctuary at both 9 and 11 a.m.. Thank You,
God. We still are unable to have Sunday School for children
and youth, but we hope to resume that soon. Thank You,
God.
God is good. Through floods and anything
else, God is good. That will never change. Thank You,
God.
See you in church.
Christy
The Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas, Pastor, Krum
UMC
Questions or comments about this article?
Please contact me at christy@krumumc.org
or phone the church office at 940-482-3482.
